Improvement in oyster-tongs



- Patented Jan. 21, 1873.

SMITH.

er-Tongs.

-0'yst AM. PHOTG-LITHOGIPAPHIC 00. N.1f(0SBORA/5'S mac-59s) UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ISAAC SMITH, OF BRUOEPORT, WASHINGTON TERRITORY.

lM PROVEMENT IN OYSTER-TONGS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 135,167, dated January 21, 1873.

To all whom itmay concern:

Be it known that I, ISAAC SMITH, of Bruceport, in the county of Pacific and Territory of Washington, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Oyster-Tongs; and I do hereby declare the following to be afull, clear, and exact description of the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawing forming a part of this specification.

The invention consists in improving the mode of combining the parts of oyster-tongs,

as hereinafter described. V

In the drawing, Figure 1 is a longitudinal section of shank, showing the screws by which the stale is detachably held. Fig. 2 is a plan View of the head; and Fig. 3 is a transverse section of head, showing the tooth applied thereto.

A in the drawing represents one of the two heads of a pair of oyster-tongs, and B the shank which receives stale. The two stales are crossed and pivoted so that the two heads can be opened and closed like a pair of tongs. The stale is usually attached rigidly to the shank B, and therefore cannot be employed except with the same head; but, as the heads are liable to fracture or disarrangement in one or more of their several parts, and as stales of different lengths are employed at different times, it is important that they should be made detachable. Inorder to embody this idea in a practical form, I preferably make the shank B of two parallel oppositely-perforated plates, 1) b, and in the perforations of lower one form threads. 0 are bolts having thread on end and an angular projecting head, which may be graspedby a wrench. These boltheads, however, may simply be provided with nicks. The stale being inserted between the plates 1) b, the bolts 0 are passed through, screwed into plate I), and hold it securely in position. If, however, any part of one of the heads is out of order, or a stale of difl'erent length is to be employed,it is quickly removed from the stale, another head substituted, and the tongs are ready for the performance of their usual duty. 1) D D are a series of ribs, cast with the non-corrosive metal which forms head and shanks. These are laterally perforated, and allow to be passed through them the braces E E E, whose ends are then carried through the toothed stock F. Here these braces are secured by riveting their ends upon the under side of stock. By this construction these braces, if broken or bent out of their proper shape, can be quickly drawn after the rivetheads are cut off. Heretofore the bars E have been attached rigidly to shank B, and if one was fractured the Whole was thrown away. G are the teeth, made of wrought-iron or soft steel, and each provided with a tapering shank, 9, so that it may be passed upwardly through the stock F, and upset or riveted on the top thereof. As soon as a tooth breaks or is injured the rivet-head is out off, the tooth driven out, and its place supplied by another.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, isg The head A, having shank B with transversely-perforated, ribs D thereon, combined with stale and bars E, as and for the purpose described.

ISAAC SMITH.

Witnesses CHAS. A. PETTIT, Tnos. D. D. OURAND. 

